the ceiling were of archaic type, the whole of its basement was occupied by a cellar which was built of stone with well-laid masonry; doubtless it was the oldest part of the Bell Inn that survived until our time—a remnant of the "great mansion house' mentioned in one of our deeds, which might have been the private dwelling of some high personage. Next to the building on this basement was another of the same material, somewhat higher, and having its separate staircase like the last. Time had here done its decaying work, and had caused the fabric to lean over as shown in our drawing. It contained in a first-floor room a wooden mantelpiece with a pretty group of figures in relief. Then came the galleries of the inn, which from the picturesque point of view formed its chief attraction. They were at the end, and running partly up the east side of the yard, not on three sides as is often the case. Beyond and beneath was a covered space, where vehicles could stand securely. This galleried portion was of wood, with tiled roof, dating perhaps from the reign of Charles II., and may have replaced a more ancient building similar in style. The rooms were not latterly used as bedrooms, being perhaps too chilly for us degenerate mortals of the present day. But to the last the

COFFEE-ROOM OF OLD BELL INN,

HOLBORN, 1897

The outside of this is shown in both our previous illustrations. Standing on the east near the entrance it was a typical room of a type now almost extinct.